(The Acts of the Apostles,
page 125, says,
"for a time") in Arabia in communion with
God; then followed a successful evangelistic
career in his native province of Cilicia. In
succeeding years came Paul's fruitful three
missionary journeys with Antioch in Syria
as their center.
Places:
Jerusalem; Damascus; Arabia;
Tarsus in Cilicia.
Persons:
Saul of Tarsus; the high priest;
Jesus Christ; Ananias of Damascus; the
Holy Spirit; disciples of Damascus; Barna-
bas ; the apostles.
Interesting Terms:
"Breathing out." An
expression similar to "panting," indicating
Saul's zeal and wrath against the Christians.
"Brother." The term by which Ana-
nias addressed the converted Saul of Tar-
sus. This is the only individual title applied
to Christian men in the New Testament.
"Saints." Sanctified or dedicated ones,
a term applied to all the believers, as in
Romans 1:7. The word in the original
tongues is also translated "holy ones." The
expression does not imply actual sinless-
ness, but consecration.
The Call of the Lord
1.
What did Saul the persecutor
ask of the high priest, and with what
cruel. purpose? Acts 9:1, 2.
Nara.—"Saul was about to journey to
Damascus upon his own business; but he
was determined to accomplish a double
purpose, by searching out, as he went, all
the believers in Christ. For this purpose he
obtained letters from the high priest to
read in the synagogues, which authorized
him to seize all those who were suspected
of being believers in Jesus, and to send
them by messengers to Jerusalem, there to
be tried and punished."—E. G. White,
Sketches From the Life of Paul,
page 21.
2.
What occurred to Saul and his
companions as they approached Da-
mascus? Acts 9:3, 4, first part.
NOTE.—"It is evident that this revelation
Was not' merely an inward impression made
on the mind of Saul during a trance or
ecstasy. It was the direct perception of the
visible presence of Jesus Christ. This is
asserted in various passages, both positively
and incidentally. In his first letter to the
Corinthians, when he contends for the
validity of his own apostleship, his argu-
ment is, 'Am I not an apostle? Have I not
seen Jesus Christ, the Lord ?' [1 Cor. ix.
1]. And when he adduces the evidence for
the truth of the resurrection, his argument
is again, 'He was seen . . . by Cephas,
. . . by James, . . by all the Apostles,
. . . last of all by me, . . . as one born
out of due time' (xv. 8). By Cephas and
by James at Jerusalem the reality of Saul's
conversion was doubted (Acts ix. 27) ; but
`Barnabas brought him to the apostles,
and related to them how he had seen the
Lord in the way, and had spoken with
Him.'"—Conybeare and Howson,
The Life
and Epistles of St. Paul,
page 90.
3.
What did the voice from heaven
say? Who was the speaker? Acts 9:
4 (last part), 5.
NoTE.—"No doubt entered the mind of
Saul that the One who spoke to him was
Jesus of Nazareth, the long-looked-for
Messiah, the Consolation and Redeemer of
Israel."—The
Acts of the Apostles,
page
117.
4.
What was the physical effect
upon the men with Saul, and upon
Saul himself? Acts 9:6 (first part),
7, 8.
NoTE.—In Acts 9:7 it says the men with
Saul heard the voice, but in Acts 22:9 it
says they did not hear the voice. The
word translated "voice" in both places is
the root word that appears in such Eng-
lish words as
telephone, dictaphone, pho-
netics,
etc. It was used for the sound of the
wind (John 3:8) and of the cry of animals,
and of the sounds of millstones, wings,
chariots, water, and musical instruments
(1 Cor. 14:8), and most commonly for the
human voice. As in both these accounts in
Acts it is dear that the sound of human
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